Bahr've'ahz B'Makhzor
Bahr've'ahz (called "Bahr" by his friends) was born a human slave to a petty bureaucrat in the Sith Empire. After murdering his master and escaping, he was taken under Makhzor's wing and quickly became Makhzor's favorite servant, granting him the title "B'Makhzor", or "Of Makhzor". He has served the Sith Imperium loyally since before Makhzor's departure, though he has gone missing a few times. Life Early Life Bahr've'ahz was born a slave to a small-minded and cruel master named Atfheve Alderamin, who was little more than an glorified accountant for the Sith Empire, living in a private estate in the jungle on Dromund Kaas. Bahr've'ahz had a gift that was often more of a curse. He was able to see both the past, the present, and many possible futures simultaneously. Never having been trained to control these visions, not even knowing what they were, they were overwhelming. He would often be seen talking to empty spaces and following strange paths that wound about a room, or would just be in a corner in the fetal position, shaking and trying his best to hide his face. Assumed to be insane from a young age, Bahr've'ahz was often the object of ridicule and abuse from not only his master, but his fellow slaves as well. He quickly became a pariah, and learned early to rely on himself. Escape After a particularly creative beating, Bahr've'ahz began to notice a trend in his "hallucinations". Many of them showed him, in one way or another, murdering his master. While the idea excited him, many of the these showed Bahr've'ahz dying alongside Master Atfheve. As much as he wanted freedom, Bahr've'ahz was not looking forward to ending his own life to attain it. After a week or so of this trend, the visions of escape attempts became more and more rare, while their ends became less and less favorable. Eventually, there was only one vision left, running over and over before Bahr's eyes. It showed him sabotaging his master's ship, then being caught in the explosion. Bahr've'ahz decided that this bit of madness was worth acting on, before his lost his nerve, and began work the next time he was tasked with cleaning his master's ship. Bahr've'ahz watched what he did in the vision, then followed suit closely. His master boarded sooner than the vision had shown, however, and Atfheve observed Bahr've'ahz in an area he wasn't supposed to be in. Bahr've'ahz was reprimanded and beaten severely for being too curious, and was then thrown on the hangar deck. The beating left him with several broken bones, and Bahr've'ahz struggled to get away from the ship as fast as he could. Unable to crawl fast enough, Bahr've'ahz turned to watch as the ship briefly lifted from the ground, and then exploded. Caught in the blast, Bahr's vision turned to black and his visions ended... briefly. He awoke not long after, his wounds healed just enough for him to move on his own. The hangar was a smoking, shredded mess, and beyond the wrecked walls was the jungle. Bahr've'ahz wasted no time pondering on his mended bones and limped his way into the wild. Ascendance Bahr've'ahz wandered in the jungle for days, quickly learning to pay attention to his visions to determine where predators had been and might be. Only then did he begin to realize that his visions might be something more than insanity. After wandering for a week, his belly empty for the majority of it, Bahr've'ahz collapsed. He later awoke in an opulent apartment, and above him stood Makhzor, the Old Soul. Makhzor explained the nature of his visions, and how unique they were even amongst Force-sensitives. Makhzor took Bahr've'ahz on as his servant, and began training him to control his powers. Under Makhzor's tutelage, Bahr've'ahz joined the Sith Imperium and quickly became a Knight, serving Makhzor directly when not called upon to serve the sovereign of the Sith Imperium and quickly becoming Makhzor's favorite servant. Disappearance and Discovery During the height of the Imperium, Makhzor departed from this universe permanently, shattering his essence into many Shards which he sent around the multiverse to continue his work. Bahr've'ahz was not yet ready to control his visions on his own, and this utter severance from his master's presence destabilized him. Suffering a barrage through the Force of things that were, are, and may never be, Bahr've'ahz retreated from civilization when he realized that places with a lot of history tended to cause more chaotic visions. He sought refuge on Rishi, in one of the remote jungles, with only an HK-51 unit (a gift from Makhzor) to keep him company. This unit also served as his protector, and kept him from people and places that would have caused him harm in his delicate state. This continued for seven long years, until he was discovered by the Sisters Roderick. The triplets Kharia, Potestia, and Nomathecia felt a calling from the Force at the age of fourteen and snuck away from their guards, or so they thought, in order to seek out the cause of the call on Rishi. There, they found Bahr've'ahz meditating in a cave muttering what seemed to be nonsense. After HK-51 confirmed their identity as heirs to the Imperium throne, he allowed them access. They sought to communicate, but Bahr've'ahz misunderstood. Perhaps thinking that they were scavengers or pirates or even just hallucinations, he fought them briefly. However, on contact with Princess Kharia he saw her past and their future. Grounded by the connection to Kharia, and therefore the present, Bahr've'ahz briefly regained a modicum of sanity and returned with the Princesses to the Imperium, where it was revealed that the sisters had been allowed escape in order to bring Bahr've'ahz back. Recovery Bahr've'ahz stayed at the Imperium temple on Yavin 4 for the next few years, meditating near the sarcophagus of the deceased Lord Emperor Arestenax, whom his master Makhzor had served faithfully. This continued grounding to the present allowed him to better distinguish between tenses. He learned to understand when something he saw was no longer there, or when it was not yet but could be. He learned to tell how far in the past something had happened, and which of the potential futures he saw were the most likely. One thing that eluded him, however, was how to be a person. He had spent his life as a slave, then a servant, then a madman. He had always been a pariah, and never once had he been allowed to discover himself. By Lord Emperor Salvatus's leave, he left Imperium space and sought understanding of himself. He was on this journey when the Eternal Empire struck, and followed his visions to rendezvous with the remains of the Imperium as fast as he could. Return Bahr've'ahz returned to find his Master's friend and chosen Emperor, Arestenax, returned from the grave. Pledging his allegiance to Lord Emperor Arestenax, Bahr've'ahz was knighted. Shortly after, Bahr've'ahz used his Sight to guide the Sith Imperium through the Indrexu Spiral to the Varkion Imperium, an isolated empire of Sith who could bolster his Lord's forces dramatically. Upon the surrender of the Varkion Imperium's Emperor Rubar, Bahr've'ahz was named Hand to Lord Emperor Arestenax and head of the Ministry of Mysteries & Ancient Knowledge. Menders of the Rift The Menders of the Rift Appear Bahr've'ahz had a vision of a mysterious and powerful entity using the Hoth Nexus (where Makhzor had attained the Right of the First) against the Imperium. He went with his apprentice, Demial Enax, to investigate the site of Makhzor's ascendance. On their arrival, they saw a ragtag collection of humanoids assembling strange machinery. Bahr've'ahz recognized some parts as Gree, some as Rakatan, and even some as Kwa, given his years of study on ancient civilizations. Each of these races had mastered some form of portal or teleportation, and Bahr've'ahz speculated that these beings were attempting to build a hybrid portal. The beings appeared to be chanting as they worked, leading Bahr've'ahz to label them as a cult. His speculation ceased when he reached out to the beings and discovered that they had all been touched by an Old Soul. Knowing that Makhzor had forbade himself from creating new Old Souls, Bahr've'ahz rushed to the scene to stop the cultists and to interrogate them. He and Demial swept through the cultists surprisingly easily, but had little time to congratulate themselves before those they had slain began to rise again - the power of the Old Soul they were beholden to allowed them to escape death. Bahr've'ahz had little time to react to this development before one of the cultists grabbed him, triggering his Sight. Bahr've'ahz saw into the cultist's past and witnessed him undergoing a ritual enacted by what appeared to be the Old Soul he had felt. The Old Soul reached into Bahr've'ahz's mind and, unbeknownst to him, began to work on taking control of the human Sith. All Demial could see, however, was Bahr've'ahz twitching on the ground surrounded by cultists. He carved a bloody path to rescue his master, but when he reached Bahr've'ahz's side the cultists began to vanish. Those that had never been killed used what appeared to be a mobile Rakatan teleporter to escape with their machinery while those that had risen from death turned to dust. Signaling for evacuation, Demial Enax carrier his master to safety. Once he had recovered, Bahr've'ahz sought out Lord Emperor Arestenax to find him in a coma of sorts. As soon as the Emperor awoke, Bahr've'ahz managed to get an audience with him. Arestenax explained that he had had a powerful vision of a being disguised as Makhzor taking over the Voss Vergence. His vision matched Bahr've'ahz's, they discovered, and they set off to investigate the Vergence. On arriving, they found more of the Old Soul-touched cultists, but knowing what was in store - and the Emperor's presence - gave them the advantage. They quickly decimated the cultists forces and managed to capture one. They interrogated the woman who revealed that the cultists called themselves the Menders of the Rift, and that they followed a man they called the Bridge Builder. The cultist soon dissolved as her allies escaped with most of their machinery, and the Imperium members ventured off to Bahr've'ahz's stronghold to discuss these events with Makhzor's holocron. The holocron revealed that Makhzor had reproduced once before he learned of the damage that Old Souls did to a universe. This offspring, named Voritas, wanted to create a bridge between this universe and one filled with Old Souls, but Makhzor, knowing this would end in one or both universes collapsing, imprisoned Voritas. However, when Makhzor split himself and scattered his Shards across the multiverse, the prison was brokena nd Voritas escaped to try and enact his plans. Bahr've'ahz and the Emperor were then interrupted by Bahr've'ahz's secretary droid, who relayed an urgent message from the Imperium's military command - the Menders of the Rift were everywhere, and there were portals opening across the galaxy. Destroying the Portals The Imperium had been fighting the Menders of the Rift and closing their portals for months when the cult made a concentrated attack on the potential Imperium mining planet Thoraxin III. Bahr've'ahz, along with the Emperor's grandson Zendrasa, Demial Enax, Azezial, Vergerre, Carnim, and many others, went en masse to thwart this assault. The portals, monstrous hybrids of Rakatan, Gree, and Kwa gate technologies, were powered by a stone at their base. Destroying the stone closed the portal, making it safe to destroy the rest of the machinery. After shutting down several portals and eviscerating dozens of cultists, Bahr've'ahz made a mistake. A poorly-aimed Force-push of his sent the power stone for one portal into the portal itself. This began a feedback loop that saw the portal begin to grow rapidly. Demial Enax, without a second thought, leapt into the portal after the stone. Shortly thereafter, the portal collaped with Demial still inside, leading the group to believe that Demial had succeeded in destroying the stone, potentially at the cost of his own life. Despite his grief at his lost apprentice, Bahr've'ahz led his forces to finish off the cultists and end the threat of their presence on Thoraxin III. After their victory, the Imperium forces regrouped on the Sovereign to debrief. It was then that they discovered that Prince Zendrasa had been injured during the mission. Bahr've'ahz, overcome by grief and regret for his many perceived failings during the mission, broke down and accidentally released control of his mind and body to Voritas, who had been manipulating Bahr've'ahz into making mistake in hopes of just such an opportunity. It was later discovered that Bahr've'ahz's former link to Makhzor could be hijacked by Voritas. Voritas, through Bahr've'ahz, briefly fought the gathered Imperium members before Bahr've'ahz regained control. Immediately he fell unconscious, twitching wildly. After being brought to the infirmary, Carnim, who had been well-versed in Old Soul lore as Bahr've'ahz's former apprentice, led the gathered members in a group ritual to help cast out the invading presence from Bahr've'ahz's mind. Bahr've'ahz, on awakening, was summoned to the throne room on the Sovereign and was punished severely for his failures. Bahr've'ahz was confined to his stronghold until further notice, and he vowed to use this time to discover a way to shield his mind from Voritas and end the threat he presented the Imperium and the universe. Old Foe, New Skin Bahr've'ahz's research on preventing Old Soul possession was slow-paced. Arestenax checked in on him periodically and usually left disappointed. Some weeks after the battle on Thoraxin III, Bahr've'ahz's security detail stopped checking in. Growing worried, Arestenax gathered his forces and went to Bahr've'ahz's stronghold to investigate. On arriving, the Imperium forces found the stronghold eerily quiet. It looked as though a storm had rampaged through the fortress, and the bodies of the guards assigned to watch over Bahr've'ahz were scattered throughout. Moving forward cautiously, the Lord Emperor and his allies heard cackling coming from the Arcane Library, where Bahr've'ahz stored his relics and conducted his experiments. entering the library, they found a hooded figure laughing at Bahr've'ahz's failed experiments on preventing Old Soul possession. The figure revealed itself to be Voritas, and Bahr've'ahz was nowhere to be found. Arestenax's guards rushed to confront the Old Soul, but found themselves unable to hurt it significantly. Voritas began to invade their minds as he had Bahr've'ahz, taking control of them one by one, before Arestenax stopped him. The Lord Emperor erected a shield around his allies, containing Voritas and preventing him from taking over anyone else or fleeing his present body. Arestenax then ordered his allies to leave and to seal the stronghold completely once they were clear, locking himself in with Voritas. The Conclusion Demial Enax had died upon his return from the Void in order to lead the Imperium to a machine, created by the Celestials, that utilized in conjunction with the Voss Vergence in order to create a barrier surrounding the entire universe. This effectively prevented inter-universal travel, thwarting Voritas's plan just as the Emperor was weakening enough to allow Voritas through his barrier. After ensuring the bridge could not be built, Princess Vindictiva led a rescue mission to Bahr've'ahz's stronghold, now truly decimated from weeks of battle between Arestenax and Voritas. Finding the Emperor and Voritas battling in the Arcane Library, the Imperium forces saw how desperate the situation had become for Arestenax. They intervened to try and give him a chance to recover his strength, and Voritas turned his attention to the interlopers. However, the Old Soul didn't appear overly weakened by his long battle and proved almost immune to the Imperium's attacks. He began to possess Ezrian, but she was quickly incapacitated by Jia'ying. The gathered forces landed no blows until Vaguest used the power of Tulak Horde's armor. In retaliation for his injuries, Voritas possessed Jia'ying and used her to assist his attacks. Arestenax, who had been gathering his strength while his allies distracted Voritas, used an immensely powerful Force-slam to smack Voritas away from his allies. Voritas flew across the room and behind a series of ruined databanks, and his Force presence fled the scene entirely. Vaguest investigated the body to find that Voritas had been using to find that Bahr've'ahz had been the one possessed. Bahr've'ahz and Arestenax were both unconscious and injured, so the Imperium forces took them to the Sovereign's medical bay in orbit. Once stabilized, Arestenax was escorted to an undisclosed location to recuperate. Bahr've'ahz, in the meantime, was tested by Vaguest, who found that he had developed a resistance to possession that he'd not had before. Vaguest could feel an echo of the Emperor's presence in Bahr've'ahz's mind, occupying him fully enough to keep foreign presences out. Vindictiva woke Bahr've'ahz and demanded his side of the story. Bahr've'ahz explained that his experiments on blocking Old Soul possession were interrupted by the arrival of a package to his stronghold. It contained robes similar to those worn by Voritas, and after that he blacked out - he assumed this was when full control was taken by Voritas. After that, he experienced only brief and disjointed images, including the slaughter - and disposal - of the guards meant to watch over his house arrest. Once the Emperor arrived and used a piece of his own soul to bind Voritas to his current host body, that of Bahr've'ahz, Bahr've'ahz remembered experiencing the ensuing battle from both Voritas's and Arestenax's perspectives. After the Lord Emperor's surprise attack during the rescue mission, Voritas's essence was forcibly removed. Yet Bahr've'ahz still felt the Lord Emperor's presence in his mind, as though now connected to him directly. Vindictiva announced that the Emperor's strength was waning and that the Wall was on the verge of collapse, lifting Bahr've'ahz's house arrest in order to attain his assistance in lifting the Wall's burden from the Emperor's shoulders. A New Beginning The Imperium was crumbling under constant assault, but it had a failsafe - the multiverse. Emperor Arestenax chose to utilize the resource brought to him by Makhzor and his disciples in order to transfer the remains of the Sith Imperium to a universe where it had yet to exist. They needed a fresh start, without enemies massing at their gates. *WIP* Physical Description Bahr've'ahz is of average height and build, for a human male. With the top of his head clean-shaven, the only hair apparent on him is in a small strip of a beard below his lower lip and his eyebrows, which have been said to make him look permanently "concerned". His skin is extremely fair, and his eyes are pure white. It has been theorized that this is because his Force-Sight may have rendered him physically blind. This can all be fairly difficult to see, as he typically hides his face behind a helmet or other covering; he took his master Makhzor's lessons to heart, and was taught that his face is just another form of mask. Though less literal for Bahr've'ahz than for Makhzor, he still abides by it and only shows his face in the most casual situations. He can typically be seen in the uniform of the Primarch of the Ministry of Mysteries & Ancient Knowledge, or in his hunting garb. Personality Bahr've'ahz was, for a very long time, the black sheep wherever he went. Constantly fighting to keep himself in the present did not allow him much time to explore his personality. Added to his constant status as a pariah and his persistent labeling as a "strange" person, this left him quiet, awkward, and unsociable. After being returned to the Imperium following his time as a hermit on Rishii, he learned to anchor himself to the present, which allowed him to behave more "normally". After receiving permission to explore the galaxy and himself, he quickly discovered a dry humor that served him well in most scenarios. Along with this he gained a fairly silver-tongued speaking style, which helped him in his diplomatic duties as the Lord Emperor's Hand. Unique Powers Sight Bahr's distinguishing ability is his Sight, which shows him the past, present, and many potential futures simultaneously. This is usually confined to what he can see physically. For example, when he looks at a room, he sees it being constructed, sees everyone and everything that has ever been in it, and sees many people and things who may be in it in the future. He calls this "seeing the Tenses". He has learned to channel it for short periods of time to show him other locations in the galaxy and their corresponding Tenses, and can channel it for significantly longer when meditating at an altar of his own design. It can, however, still be overwhelming at times. Makhzor largely kept it contained with their Force-Bond, actively suppressing the visions. Without that help, Bahr've'ahz had to construct a small chamber that cuts him off partially from the Force. It leaves enough connectivity to keep him aware of his surroundings, but removes the Sight that plagues him. Makhzor, aside from helping him control his Sight, taught Bahr've'ahz when to use it. Demonstrating to Bahr've'ahz much as Makhzor had it demonstrated to him by the Guardian, Makhzor taught him that to reveal events before they happened had a ripple effect. Not only could they cause damage to you and those you act for, but it can damage the Force itself. Anchoring The Sight often overwhelmed Bahr've'ahz until he learned to anchor himself. He discovered that if he attached his perceptions to something he knew ''was occurring in the present, he would be able to keep himself from losing his place in time. The downside to this was that it severely limited his Sight, showing him only things that would happen in the near future and that had happened in the recent past. He can, on occasion, release himself to explroe the distant past and future, but he risks madness each time. Gifting Bahr've'ahz learned, on his journey to explore himself, to share his Sight. Calling it "Gifting the Sight", or simply "Gifting", made it seem pleasant, but it could be used as quite the opposite. Bahr've'ahz first learned to use it to help people understand why he acted the way he did, showing those who he got close to the marvels of a history that one could observe all at once. He quickly discovered, however, that too much of a good thing can harm. He revealed too much of what he saw to a friend, all at once, and watched as their mind shut down from the immensity of it. Bahr've'ahz had decades to learn to come to terms with this thing he had had from birth. Introducing it to someone else without lead-up proved nearly fatal. Luckily, he withdrew the Gift and his friend recovered in a matter of days. Their friendship did not. He eventually perfected this art, and could make it subtle, such as showing an opponent a move he might have made, and then choosing to not make it in order to have them block a blow that never came so they let down their guard; ''or he could show someone a wall or bridge that was no longer there to discourage and encourage their progress, respectively. Gifting Eternity As he learned from the mishap with his friend, he could use Gifting it as a blunt weapon. By giving too much of the Gift at once, he could make them quickly shut down their conscious thought processes in order to save their sanity. This would result in a coma, if he chose to let up. If he chose to continue, he could cause madness or a complete vegetative state. When he Gifted to the point where the recipient loses their mind, he called it "Gifting Eternity." Category:Inactive Personnel